About what is «renovation in a very small kitchen» many of our compatriots know firsthand. The amazing legacy left to us from the Soviet period, the so-called «Khrushchev», are spaces with very modest dimensions, which are often associated with irregular shapes, asymmetries and other architectural features. The owners of apartments built in the last century do not always have the opportunity to make redevelopment to expand such an important and multifunctional part of the home as the kitchen. But on a few square meters it is necessary to place a fairly large set of household appliances, storage systems and not forget about work surfaces and a place for meals. Our compatriots have accumulated considerable experience in arranging small rooms, in cutting out every square centimeter of usable space, and even in foreign design projects, kitchen zones of modest sizes are often found. Let’s try to sum up all this knowledge and derive an algorithm of actions for arranging a small kitchen area.
Planning is the key to a successful renovation
Before sinking into the abyss of a difficult choice of kitchen facades and finding a furniture manufacturer, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work. Draw up a detailed diagram of your small room with the location of not only windows and doors, but also communication systems, various architectural features – protrusions, niches, garbage boxes (if any), ventilation systems. Be sure to find out in advance whether it is possible to transfer engineering systems in your house, often city apartment buildings have certain types of prohibitions on changing the location of gas pipelines, for example.
Next, you need to outline the layout of the kitchen set, the location of household appliances, work surfaces and storage systems. The layout of the furniture ensemble and household appliances will depend on the following factors:
- the size and shape of the room, the location of windows, doors and their number;
- finding the kitchen in relation to other rooms in an apartment or house (a walk-through room or adjacent to a dining room, for example);
- location of water supply lines, sewerage, gas duct and ventilation systems;
- the need to locate the dining area in the kitchen space (or a small segment for short meals);
- the number of people who will eat in the kitchen at the same time (it will also matter if there are elderly people and small children among the household, for whom, for example, meals at the bar are unacceptable);
- a set of household appliances (for some, a hob and a refrigerator are enough, while others need an oven, microwave, dishwasher and a lot of small household appliances).
Choosing the layout of the kitchen ensemble
It may seem only at first glance. That the modest parameters of the room impose certain taboos on the use of certain types of kitchen layout. If you do not need to locate the dining area within the kitchen space, then almost any kind of arrangement of storage systems, appliances and work surfaces can be a successful project. If the dining area is located in a small kitchen, then the choice of compact and ergonomic layouts is significantly narrowed.
U-shaped layout for a small kitchen
The layout of the kitchen set in the shape of the letter P allows you to place the maximum possible number of storage systems, household appliances and work surfaces in a small area. In this case, the so-called «working triangle», consisting of a sink, stove (or hob) and refrigerator. But it is important to understand that in a small kitchen with such a layout there will be no place for installing even a very small dining group. And it will be more convenient to carry out work processes only for one person.
Corner set in a room with a small area
The layout of the kitchen ensemble in an L-shaped manner allows you to place the required number of storage systems and household appliances in a relatively small area. At the same time, as a rule, there is room for installing a free-standing module – a kitchen island or a dining group. The rule «working triangle» it is also possible to carry out quite easily by placing the stove and the sink on the sides of the headset, which are perpendicular to each other, and put the refrigerator separately.
Parallel layout for a modest kitchen area
The layout of the kitchen set in two rows is not suitable for every room. Obviously, placing storage systems, appliances and work surfaces parallel to each other in a small kitchen will not leave room for a dining table or kitchen island. But in some cases, such an arrangement of furniture and appliances is the most rational way to equip the functional space of the kitchen. Yes and «working triangle» with such a layout, it is easily integrated.
One row layout
A single-row layout may be the only option for the location of the kitchen unit (or parts of it) in kitchens with a small area. In a kitchen room of a very modest size or in a standard room in which it is necessary to install a dining group, installing household appliances and storage systems in one row will look advantageous and will save precious square meters of free space for maneuvers..
Deciding on the color palette of a small kitchen
Light shades expand the space
It’s no secret that light shades are suitable for decorating small rooms like no others. The white color of the finish will help to hide the imperfections of the architecture or the irregular shape of the room, and the light kitchen set will visually increase the area of the room. At the same time, the furniture ensemble, located from floor to ceiling, will not look cumbersome, a light tone will give airiness to a monolithic structure. It will be possible to bring color to such a snow-white space by finishing the floor in warm, woody tones or the bright design of a kitchen apron.
Don’t strip yourself of color
A small kitchen is not a reason to give up the use of bright colors and contrasting combinations. You just need to know when to stop using colorful shades and dark colors. If you are planning to install a bright headset (or parts of it), then the decoration of a small room should be light (preferably white). And vice versa – when using bright wall decoration, highlighting an accent surface using colorful prints, it is better to use plain light options for the facades of kitchen cabinets.
The easiest way to bring a variety of colors to the design of the kitchen is to cover the kitchen apron with bright tiles or mosaics. There are many options for decorating an apron in a bright version – from glass wall panels to plastic stained-glass windows..
Dark facades in a small kitchen are the choice of daredevils and originals. Of course, dark shades look luxurious with modern models of household appliances, but it is important to understand that such surfaces of the facades of kitchen cabinets will have to be looked after with a vengeance – even drops of clean water are visible on the black doors.
The classic combination of black, white and red in the decoration and furnishing of any room helps to create an interesting, original and even a little dramatic interior. And who said that a small kitchen is not worthy of a high degree and contrast in design? But do not overdo it with red if there are dieters among your household – red increases your appetite.
Modest kitchen interior stylistics
Obviously, the small size of the kitchen space leaves an imprint on the choice of style in which the room will be decorated. A classic kitchen with carvings and rich décor will look ridiculous. Shabby chic style, for example, can just clutter up a small room. And the minimalist style simply does not accept small spaces. Simple and concise solutions are the best choice. For example, a modern style striving for maximum practicality, restrained in decoration can be one of the most successful choices..
It is easiest to decorate a kitchen of even small sizes in a retro style using modern interpretations of the models of household appliances of the past. As a rule, such household appliances are made not only in the original design, but also are distinguished by colorful colors. Your kitchen will be not only bright, but also original, even with the most trivial choice of color palette for finishing and furnishing a room.
Choosing facades for kitchen cabinets
The first decisions that suggest themselves when planning a kitchen set for a small room are smooth facades with hidden fittings. Such solutions will help to save precious centimeters of the kitchen area and will look modern and stylish. But this does not mean that a modest kitchen limits you in choosing those facades that will delight the eye for many years. After all, almost the entire mood of the interior depends on the external image of the kitchen set..
For those who find snow-white smooth facades a somewhat trivial option, you can offer a worthy alternative – doors with small moldings on the lower tier and glass inserts on the upper tier. You can spice up the furniture ensemble by using contrasting fittings.
Kitchen fronts «under the tree» with a colorful natural wood pattern always bring warmth to the interior of the room. These cabinet doors will perfectly match the shine of stainless steel on household appliances and the gloss of stone countertops..
Dining group in a small room
If, among other things, it is necessary to place a dining area in a small kitchen, and you do not want to use bar counters and extend the countertops of kitchen islands, then give preference to round and oval dining tables. So you can even place several household members at a small table. In addition, the absence of sharp corners in the dining area is an important safety aspect for premises with limited traffic..
If no more than three household members will be dining at the same time in your kitchen, the issue of organizing a place for meals can be solved by extending the countertop of the kitchen island or peninsula. Even a small freestanding unit can be used as a work surface, storage systems and tabletops for eating.
Here is an example of the location of the dining area by the type of layouts in a cafe. This area takes up little space, but at the same time is a fairly roomy dining segment. Empty space under the seats can be used as storage systems.
Kitchen in the attic – features of the arrangement
An asymmetrical room with a large bevel of the ceiling and an unusual arrangement of windows is not a reason to despair and abandon the location of the kitchen in the attic space. Here are some examples of the design of rooms with complex architecture, in which it was possible not only to create a comfortable and practical stop, but also to maintain an attractive and modern appearance of the interior..
Several design tricks to save space
If your kitchen does not have much space, but the ceilings are high enough, you can use this advantage to the advantage of business – install not just the upper tier of cabinets, but a mezzanine under the very ceiling. In such storage systems it will be possible to fold utensils that you do not use every day, but its presence in the kitchen space is recommended.
Using glossy, glass and mirror surfaces, of course, we will not be able to change the size of the room, but we can visually expand its boundaries. Glossy fronts of kitchen cabinets, glass inserts in the doors, lining the kitchen apron with shiny tiles – all these little tricks will help to visually enlarge a small kitchen area.
Using open shelves instead of the top tier of kitchen cabinets is often the only way to keep a sense of freedom in a small space. Sometimes it is possible to combine storage systems in the upper part of the kitchen. The choice depends on the location of the window, the height of the ceilings and the number of household appliances that could not be integrated in the lower tier of the kitchen set.
Open shelves can even be used in the space of a window opening. Do not deprive the kitchen room of natural light. Glass shelves with dishes seem to be suspended in the air, but at the same time such a storage system is quite spacious.
An alternative to using open shelves for storing dishes, spices and other kitchen accessories is a whole rack from floor to ceiling with cells of different sizes. Of course, caring for a storage system of this type will require a lot of effort, but in small rooms you have to sacrifice something..
If there is not enough space not only for kitchen cabinets, shelves and full-fledged shelves instead of the upper tier of the kitchen unit, this is not a reason not to use an empty wall at all. The metal horizontal holders are capable of supporting a fairly high weight. You can hang on them not only cutlery and mini-spice shelves, but also pans, lids, cups and other utensils.
In small spaces, it is important to use every centimeter of kitchen area rationally. Storage systems under the very ceiling, shallow cabinets and open shelves, built-in shelving – tricks like pull-out tabletops are also used.
A portable kitchen island that serves as a work surface (cutting area) and a dining segment can significantly facilitate kitchen work processes and solve the issue of organizing a dining area. The table on wheels moves to the side or against the wall if it is not needed at the moment and slides out into the center of the kitchen during a family dinner.
